Household commodity indicator



Nov. 6,

G. B. HALL HOUSEHOLD COMMODITY INDICATOR Filed May 23, 1927 lmrenytor GB-Hall Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

0110mm 3. BALL, orwi vmrne, MANITOBA, CANADA.

HOUSEHOLD COMMODITY INDICATOR.

Application filed May 28,

The invention relates to improvements in household commodity indicators andan object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap and durable device which'can be placed by the householder in a conspicuous location and which can bereadily set'by the user so that a tradesman can ascertain at a glance the exact quantity of a commodity or commodities to be delivered to the consumer and which special commodity required.

A further object i of the rea yinsertion in cards to accommodate the will also hold the customary tickets or money given in exchange for the commodity and which will further advise the tradesman as to the name of the householder. V V

Afurther object is to construct the device so that it can be suspended from the wall or door of the building or froma milk bottle as desired and which can be utilized to indicate the need and the amount of the regular or struct the device n ofthe invention is to conthe form of a box having a hinged lid, the lid containing an indicatingcard so that the card is fully exposed when thebox is open and efiectively protected from the weather when the same is closed.

A furtherobj ect is to mount theindicating card in the boxlid so that it can bereadily removed b the householder, such permittlng tradesmen. I

With the above more mportant ob e cts 1n view, the invention consists, essentially in the arrangement and the box of varying produce of varying inafter more particularly described reference bein had to the whic 2- ccompanying drawing, in

Fig. 1 is 'a perspective view of the indicator as it appears in itsppen position, parts being broken away to expose construction.

' Fig. 2 is a side view of the indicator as it appears suspended from a wall and with the a lid of thebox open.

fig. 3 is a front view of the device mounted on the upper end of a milk bottle and with the lid closed.

"Fig. dis avertical sectional viewer 4-4 Figure '1;

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the indicating card.

Fi 7 is 6 a perspective view of the bracket. an enlar ed detailedvertical sectiona viewlat 7-7 Figure 5. r

In the drawing like characters of reference construction of parts here-. I

1927. Serial no. 193,600;

indicate corresponding parts the several figures. i i

a The indicator embodies a substantially rec-- tangular metal box 1 whichis fitted with a hin ed lid 2, the lid having'marginal flanges 3 w iich overhang the top edge of the box when the lid is closed. The box-is made pref erably with tapering ends 4 and 5,the ends being narrower at the front than the rearso that the lid takes an inclined position when closed. This gives'the box a neater and more pleasing appearance and insures of the more effective closing of the lid when the same is swung down. 2 v

To the under side of the box I secure a pair ofcross strips 6 and 7, the strip 6 passing centrally lengthwise of the box and having the ends turned down and curved to provide gripping fingers Sand 9 and the strip 7 passmg centrally across the box and'havingthe forward end down turned to provide a curved beyond the back ofthe box and then turned down to provide'a straight finger 11. The strips are fastened to the box by tongues 12 which are assed through suitable slots 13 formed in t 1e box bottom and then flattened down to grip the bottom. The spring grippingfingers 8, 9 and 10 are positioned so that theywill receive and grip the upper end 14 of a milk bottle when appliedthereon and in clips. The clips are utilized to receiveand hold a name plate 17 which in practice will be the name of the party owning the box, that is the consumer of the products.

In the lid of the box I mount an indicating card 18 which can be formed from cardboard, celluloid or other stifi material. The card is of such dimension that it fits snugly within the cover when presse into the same, and

provision is made for releasably holding the card in position such. being accompl shed by indenting the front flange ofthe lid or 'ovide retaining tits 19 and 20 cover to p11 t e inserted position of the card are which in directly in advan'ceof the upper edge thereof.

When the card is being placed inthe cover it is sprung past these tits which thereafter ripping finger l0, and the rear end extending so doing effectively support the indicator on .the, bottle. f j 1 The rear side of the box is fitted with a pair of spring clips 15 and 16 wh'ichare readily provided by slitting the box and then press-' 'ing the portions inwardly to. provide the Lil s rve to retain the card. The front flange of the lid is centrally cut to provide a linger pie e 21 which is turned out into the plane of the hody of the cover and makes it convenient for the tradcsman to open the hex, as he can rcadily catch the finger piece and raise the lid. By cutting the flange at this point I make it also convenient tor the householder to change the indicating card when dcsircd as one can readily catch the upper exposed edge of the card hy the finger nail and pull the card ahead forcibly past the tits.

The indicator ca rd is provided atthe top with four similar spaces in which printed i nformation appears. It has also a vertical central column. divided by horizontal lines in the spaces of which further printed information appears. In the card herein shown the words Milk and Cream appear at the top oi the card and underneath the word Milk is printed For special milk use red pointer and under the word. Cream is printed For l'iuttcrmilk use hlue pointer. In the spaces of the vertical column I have indicated the various quantities of milk, cream or huttcrmilk which might he required by the consumer and at the hottom of the central column appears the word Tickets.

Centrally at the ends of the card I loate pivot pins 22 and 23 which are herein sho vn as in the form of the well known two legged paper clip. On each of these pins I mount two pointers indicated by the reference numerals 2%, :25 26 and 2?. The pointers 2i and 27 can be the same colour but those 25 and 26 are of different colours. That 25 will he say red and that 526 blue. The pointers 2% and 27 can he white. The pointers are provided to indicate the quantities of produce required by turning them so that they will point to selected spaces in the vertical column, and to insure that there will he no mistaking what is required I have drawn leader lines from the ends of the spaces of the vertical colunnnthese extending in a direction more or less radial to the pivot pins.

To insure that the pointers will remain where put- I have indented the material oil the card to provide spaced pockets 28 positioned concentric to the pins and have formed protuherances 29 on the pointers adapted to enter one or the other of the pockets when the pointers are shifted. The pockets are also positioned with due regard to the spaces of the vertical column so that when any pointer is set with its protuberance in the pocket the pointer will point to a definite space in the column.

The card herein shown is particularly designed for indicating to a tradesmen. such as a milkznan, just what of his commodities the householder desires. The pointer 24 in Fignres l and is set to indicate that one quait of milk wanted and the pointer 27 to indicate that a half pint of cream is de ired. The pointer indicates that a pint of special milk is wanted and E16 that two quarts of hutter milk are to he left. ()ln'iously the householder-can readily set the pointer or pointers to indicate just what required. It tickets are required one of the pointers will he swan; down to point to the word 'l'icket" at the lower end of the vertical column. When one or other of the pointers are not. in use it or they will he swung to a vertical position.

As he'forc stated the indicating card can be readily removed from the ho}: when desired and ohviously a similar card having different markings thereon could he inserted and the pointers thereof turned to indicate the produce desired. In other words the indicating card herein shown is specially designed for the milkmau, and another card could he provided for the hreadznan and so on for other tradesmen. y

The householder can ohvionsly set the pointers at; any time hclore the customary hour at which the various tradesmen call and then close the lid. She can also leave tickets or money in the ho); where they are protected from the weather. lVhen the tradesm an calls he has simply to open the hon, leave the produce indicated and take the money or tickets left therein.

I might point out that in some houses there may he several families and it would he desirahle for each O'i these to have an indicator of their own. Under such (il'CHlllSttUlCCS it is very desirahle that the name of the ens tomer he displayed in the box as the tradersman can then he sure that each custon'ier gets what they order and if an account he kept he is ahle to make proper entry.

If it is notdesired to attach the indicator to the milk bottle it can he readily suspended from a wall or door by providing a plate 30 attached permanently to the wall or the door, the plate having an ofi set strap 31 adapted to receive the rear straight arm 11 oil the holder and support the holder in the position host. shown in Figure 2.

llhat I claim as my invention is z- 1. A household commodity indicator for insertion within the lid of a hon cmhodying a commodity indicating card mounted within the lid and having selected commodity names appearing at the top thereof. a centrally locatczl vertical column having indiciae representin; the quantity of selected commodities required and indicating pointers pivoted centrally to the ends of the card and adapted when n'ianipulated and set with regard to the column to indicate the amount'of selected commodity rctpiired.

Q. A household commodity indicator for insertion within the lid of a hox embodying); a. commodity indi atingr card mounted within the lid and having the names of selcct ed commoditie printed on the top thereof, and information relative to specially reoured, said pointers being adapted to indiquired commodities appearing thereon vnn-' cate when set with regard to the central col- 19 derneath the former names, a central 'vertiumn the quantity of the selected commodity cal column having indiciae indicating the required. quantity of selected commodities required Signed at Winnipeg, this 4th day of May, and a pair of concentrically mounted point- 1927; i eis pivotally attached to each end of the card,

the pointers of a pair being' difierently col- GEORGE B. HALL. 

